Power supplies generally accept alternating current (AC) main inputs and process AC voltage to produce one or more direct current (DC) voltages. Such power supplies can form the backbone of many electronic devices such as digital video disk (DVD) players, television sets, monitors, personal computing devices and more.
Electronic devices are constantly changing to meet the needs of the user. For example, users can desire more functionality from their devices while also desiring smaller form factors. Dense power supply designs can have relatively difficult design requirements. Dense power supplies can, for example, generate more heat in a unit volume compared to less dense power supply designs. Further, increased heat generation can require more airflow to keep components cool in the power supply.
As power supply designs decrease in size, another design challenge can be related to handling AC input voltage. Oftentimes, because of size constraints, AC input voltage cannot be routed internally through a printed circuit board (PCB). Regulatory requirements (Underwriter Labs, for example) can specify required trace or component clearances from AC signal traces that can increase space requirements and force a larger power supply design. Indiscriminate additions of connectors or other components to handle AC input voltages can impede important air flow as well as increase costs.
Therefore, what is desired is a relatively compact way to route AC input voltage for power supply designs that can use space efficiently and allow effective cooling of the power supply and the electronic device.